The proposed project seeks to replicate and extend Berkman and Syme's observation that social and community ties were associated with reduced mortality among residents of Alameda County (CA). Such ties may be particularly important for the elderly, who are simultaneously at greater risk of major illness and of social isolation. We have available a dataset containing measures similar to those used in the Alameda County study, as well as extensive clinical and sociological data, for a representative, biracial study population (N=2530, mean age 52.9 years) examined in 1967-68 in the Evans County Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Epidemiologic Study conducted in rural Georgia. Death certificates have been received since that examination. Vital status of subjects presumed alive, including outmigrants, was ascertained in 1979 for all but sixteen persons. Vital status, year of death, and major category of cause of death will be the outcome variables for the proposed epidemiologic study. We propose to analyze these data using conventional epidemiologic measures, multivariable analytic techniques, and survivorship analysis procedures. Our study will constitute an advance over previous work in the area in the following regards: (1) the ability to control for such important mortality predictors as pre-existing clinical cardiovascular disease, diabetes, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and electrocardiographic abnormalities; (2) the availability of data on blacks as well as whites; (3) the use of survivorship analysis methods, so that our study will take account of time-to-death as well as the fact of death. Survivorship analysis is important because most of the deaths occurred among older subjects, who would be expected to die before too many years in any case. We will also investigate the relative importance of the several types of social and community ties in any overall effect, as well as attempt a more in-depth analysis of the influence of religious affiliation. Our long-term objective is to advance the scientific basis for efforts to prevent disease and promote health in the middle and later years through modification of the social environment.